Just got back from there, the Twrch is running fine after all the bad rain. Always copes with bad weather well anyway!

Doubt the new trail will be open soon as the surface hadn’t settled in enough to not be washed away on the bits by the toll gate, plus they’ve apparently had problems with MX bikes using some sections too.

Did get annoyed at two blokes who decided to ride the new bits despite signs saying not to and me telling them it’s closed!! They didn’t think it would do any damage, despite it being a bit of a quagmire 😕

Also in the minority as I don’t rate it. I’ve done the XC loop a couple of times – like the technical climb, probably the best climb I’ve ridden at a trail center but the down was a massive anticlimax. Top section is fun, but the rest isn’t very interesting, throws height away too quickly and it’s over before you know it.

DH is ok, but for a day uplifting it’s a bit limited riding the same trail over and over again (ok, with a few minor variations). FoD and others have much more variety and CwmCarn really shows its age imho!

I loved that place! (Even though I can’t pronounce it.) Love the XC loop, a couple of nice techy climbs on it and a decent length too. Then in the afternoon we all got uplifts. It costs about 4 quid for an uplift. That was last October, so unless there’s been some crazy inflation, you’ll be grand. Definitely do at least one uplift, it’s ridiculously good fun. BPW was alright too. 😉

Fantastic trail. Quite old Skool in many respects too, sure newer trails have more swoop and jump to them but its good at what it does and that’s hop on the bike and pedal with the trail offering as much speed as you can manage.

Sad to here about people riding the new sections already, I’m a local and not seen that yet. Really sad that some people cannot seem to wait a few weeks. Quite pathetic actually.

What? What do your favourite trails have? Dancing girls? Fireworks?

It might be boring if you trundle along with your brakes on but if you give it some welly it’s definitely not boring

No, I just find trails with flow more interesting. Other than a few short technical bits on the climb, you can switch off for nearly all of it. The descent isn’t very interesting, even flat out.

Says something – I peeled off the XC descent & rode the DH instead, just for something more interesting to ride, and that’s saying something…

We all like different things though 🙂

I really enjoy it. Normally do 3 laps of the xc trail when I go. About an hour a loop is a reasonable time. Top boys blast it in 45….

To put this in perspective, 45mins is for the likes of Nick Craig ect, under an hour puts you in the top 140 out of 1745 on Strava. About a hour and a half is more normal for someone fitish and just out for a ride.

Just to make it clear I haven’t ridden the new unopened trails!

No, I just find trails with flow more interesting.

Maybe try a nice blue trail next time?

No but you’ll wangle guest riding like BPW simon ;-P.

Maybe try a nice blue trail next time?

If I was going to ride a S.Wales trail centre type trail, I would rather keep on going to Brechfa & ride the Raven 🙂

The raven has no flow at all!
I suppose it is closer to a blue than a black though.

I just find trails with flow more interesting

What’s flow?

If you can switch off at any point you are definitely going way too slowly. I find myself having to back off due to the scale of the potential accident on some sections.. Especially the bit before the open section above the last descent.

But then, I do know it really well! 56 min pb, 30 mins to the top of the climb. That was 4 years ago so it’ll have changed since then.

And heaven forbid, some actual jumps, albeit small ones!

I’ve literally ridden it the one time. I wouldn’t bother to go back to ride it again.

I tell a lie though, I do remember there being a fun bit, the short DH section just before the odd concrete climb, for all 15 seconds of it 🙂

^^^^^ Well said Taxi, that “1 hour” willy waving comment went unchallenged for a long time.

…do people really change tyres over a weekend when visiting 2 trail centres? I dont know if I’m reckless or lazy for keeping the same on all year round.

…do people really change tyres over a weekend when visiting 2 trail centres? I dont know if I’m reckless or lazy for keeping the same on all year round

Normally, no – however, just fancied something beefy for BPW, as I don’t want any pinch flats/dinged rims spoiling the day – seeing as we are doing the uplift and I don’t have to pedal the blummin things uphill. Ran my normal tyres at Fort William a few years back.

Even when I went on a stag do with mates who hadn’t ridden a mountain bike and hung over it took 1hr50 for a loop…just over 1hr is the usual time for my group, we aren’t super fit! Checking strava I’m surprised so few are under the hour.

The loop itself has go easier as they’ve sanitised some of the climb. There were sections that were frankly impossible to clean on the original trail. I still find it a challenge to get to the top without dabbing.

Fastest lap on strava is 40mins! It takes me 35mins or so to get to the top so that is shifting….

Loco racing guys do the first climb (from carpark to gate) twice as fast as I can to put relative speeds in perspective, an hour is a good time.
The ladies that ride for loco would also quick my arse pretty comprehensiy too !

I can clean the whole climb (as long as I remember to shift before the concrete ramp), but it takes me a lot longer than 40 mins. I can probably beat some of those 40 min total lap strava guys back down though.

On my own (so no ‘social stops’) I get to the top in about 40 mins (maybe 50) and I’m probably an average rider. Don’t know how quickly I could do the whole loop cos I can never resist doing a few loops of the freeride section at the top. Last time I did a solo loop I was testing a Cotic Rocket and did 10 loops of the freeride – it invites you to go faster each time, with some nice little jumps and tight little berms, and the 3 table tops towards the end are a decent enough challenge to clear for most people I’d think. The faster you do the descents the more fun. Possibly a trail that becomes more fun the more familiar you become with it.

No-one can dislike the last descent when ridden properly. It’s a joy.

I agree, short but sweet

As far as the strava times and lot being slow.
They maybe like me always there riding in a mixed ability group. Always seems to be about 2 hours round the xc loop when we go.

I’d be disappointed if I took more than an hour on my own
I do like the climb it can be hard to clear it all although I’ve not been for ages so may have been sanitised a bit by now

Love going round at night